How to identify fake "$GROK Presale" websites

What is the fake "$GROK Presale"?

This "$GROK Presale" is a scam. This fake page is presented as an exclusive GROK token presale event. The likely goal of this scam is to extract sensitive user data. It must be stressed that this bogus presale is not associated with Grok or any other legitimate services and entities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Comission (FTC) states that since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.

Fake "$GROK Presale" overview

We discovered this scam promoted on coingrok[.]app, yet it may also be hosted on other domains. This deceptive webpage masquerades as an exclusive presale event for the GROK token. It must emphasized that this event is fake, and this scam is in no way associated with the real Grok generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbot or any other legitimate services and entities.

The fraudulent page invites users to sign-up by providing their name, email, and password twice. At the time of research, after the "Secure Your Allocation" button was clicked – it resulted in a redirect to a website hosting pornographic content.

This "$GROK Presale" likely acts as a phishing scam and records entered information. The exposure of log-in credentials is a threat as many users tend to reuse the same passwords, thus scammers may steal various accounts. Email addresses can be sold to third-parties for spam and similar purposes.

To summarize, victims of online scams may experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

If you believe that your log-in credentials have been exposed – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Online scams in general

We have written about countless scams; "fake AMLBot website", "$SUI Airdrop", "$DEEP Token Presale", "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway", "$VIRTUAL Airdrop", and "$XOS Airdrop" are just some of our latest articles on ones using crypto-themed lures.

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. While online scams are often poorly put together and full of mistakes, they can be competently made and even convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities. Therefore, we highly recommend caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

The most prevalent promotional methods for online scams include websites using rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements (malvertising), spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, robocalls/ cold calls, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and communications making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated programs/media (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Download from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software (like adware) from infiltrating systems.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

Screenshot of an X (Twitter) post promoting $GROK Presale scam (it looks like a repost, but it is rather a clickable image containing a fake post of Elon Musk):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is "$GROK Presale" scam website?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an online scam?

Online scams are deceptive messages intended to lure users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be deceived into disclosing private data, sending money to scammers, purchasing products, downloading/installing software, subscribing services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Cyber criminals primarily profit by abusing/selling private information, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), acquiring funds through deception, and spreading malware by sharing malicious files or links.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you've disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily endorsed via websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising, typosquatting, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive and malicious content. It can also deny all further access to webpages hosting said content.